ON TARGET BLOG
by Spencer Irvine on March 20, 2017
It’s rather ironic that the liberal media, which claims to be the gatekeepers of democracy, have forgotten about Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s warnings in the wake of the Obergefell ruling. In his dissent, Alito warned of accusations of bigotry being tossed at those who support traditional marriage. The ruling opened the door for legalization of gay/same-sex/homosexual marriage, and a plethora of other issues, such as religious liberty and religious discrimination complaints.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito spoke to an audience at an event hosted by a Catholic lawyers group, and reminded them of his warning in his dissent in the Obergefell case. Alito correctly deducted that his warning had become true since the court ruling. We went and dug up Alito’s dissent and italicized his words of warning:
Perhaps recognizing how its reasoning may be used, the majority attempts, toward the end of its opinion, to reassure those who oppose same-sex marriage that their rights of conscience will be protected. . . . . We will soon see whether this proves to be true. I assume that those who cling to old beliefs will be able to whisper their thoughts in the recesses of their homes, but if they repeat those views in public, they will risk being labeled as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers, and schools.
By imposing its own views on the entire country, the majority facilitates the marginalization of the many Americans who have traditional ideas. Recalling the harsh treatment of gays and lesbians in the past, some may think that turnabout is fair play. But if that sentiment prevails, the Nation will experience bitter and lasting wounds.
You may ask, how is Justice Alito correct in his assessment of his dissent’s prediction and warning? Religious liberty is a contentious topic today in the courts and in the court of public opinion, as the following examples demonstrate:
Sweet Cakes by Melissa: The Klein family closed their bakery after citing their Christian religion in not baking a cake for a gay couple, and paid a fine of $135,000.
Arlene’s Flowers: Owner Barronelle Stutzman is facing a fine from the state of Washington for declining to make a flower arrangement for a gay customer, citing her Christian beliefs.
Memories Pizza: The Indiana pizza shop was criticized when the owner was asked, by a visiting reporter, about a hypothetical situation of serving gay customers. The owner said due to Christian beliefs, they would hypothetically decline. As a result, they received death threats and closed shop until they could re-open (receiving crowdfunding to do so).
Photo by Cknight70
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